Page 110 of Wanted: Rogues and Bards

“Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked gently.

She flashed him a wry smile as if silently calling him silly, and he got it. They couldn’t survive without sexual contact. Plus, they approached sex much differently than most humans. It was a transaction. A meal. Feelings were almost never involved. At least, they shouldn’t be.

“I appreciate your concern, and yeah, maybe for a while I’ll be a bit reluctant to approach some people. So long as I can find a partner who’s all right with me being in control the entire time, I’ll manage.” Her grin turned impish. “It’s like I’ve lost my taste for pork, but I could go for some fish.”

An image flashed through Lirion’s head and he let out a chuckle. “Okay, I would suggest leaving Puppy alone as well. He’s both a virgin and very protected by this group. However, if you are hungry and need to feed before we reach land, Rain would likely be a suitable candidate for you. Shall I ask?”

“I can do my own asking, thank you.” Aria paused, brow furrowing. “Why does he sit in a tub, though?”

“The tub is the mildest quirk this group has. Trust me.”

Still, he explained the logic behind it, which somehow segued into telling brief stories about the rest of the men, too. Especially how he met Fenric to begin with. Aria told him more about how she’d left home, the disaster that had followed, and her hopes for the future.

After being apart for six years, it was wonderful to simply sit on the deck with the ocean breeze in their hair and the moon shining down on them as he listened to the steady, sweet cadence of her voice. Peaceful, calm, and exactly the time he needed with his sister.

Dawn was starting to lighten in the distant eastern sky when Lirion finally descended below deck. Aria shuffled off to the cabin taken over by the other female captives while Lirion snuck back into the cabin he’d been sharing with Fenric. He opened the door as quietly as he could and poked his head inside to find Fen alone in the bed. There wasn’t even another person stretched out in a hammock or on the floor. Despite the already cramped conditions, they’d given Lirion the cabin alone with Fen because of his special feeding needs.

“I was wondering when you were going to finally come to bed.” Fenric’s voice rumbled through the room, low and gravelly with sleep.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Lirion closed the door and quickly crossed to the bed. He sat on the edge and pulled off his boots, dropping them with a soft thud.

“Mn. Thief. Rogue. We’re light sleepers. It’s how we stay alive.”

“Good to know. How’s your shoulder? When you arrived, I couldn’t see how bad it was. There was just all this blood and then Bel took you off.” He’d pushed back to his feet to start stripping off his clothes, but his garments were fighting him, and the more words came out, the heavier they grew with worry he’d been forced to shove aside. And then he was starting to worry about the fact that he’d worried about Fen in the first place, which was not a complication he needed.

“Shhh…hey…it’s okay.” A rough hand landed on the center of his bare back and Lirion instantly calmed. “It wasn’t that bad. Bel gave me a few stitches, a slap on the ass, and sent me on my way. For a big, hulking guy, he’s pretty handy with a needle and thread.”

“Does it still hurt? I know a cantrip that will help with the healing and will remove the pain,” he offered.

“Tomorrow.”

“It is tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow before I take over the helm from Bel. Just get into bed.” Fenric shifted to the edge of the bed on his left side, making room for Lirion on his right. He even lifted up the blankets, beckoning him into the warmth.

Lirion didn’t hesitate any longer, sliding into bed until he was pressed up against Fenric’s naked body, soaking in all of his wonderful strength and warmth. Fen even took the time to tuck the blankets around them both before lying down again.

“Are you hungry?”

Lirion smiled, his heart giving a small flip at Fen’s sweet question. Yeah, maybe Fen would be getting off, but he had made the question about Lirion’s needs, putting him first. “No, I’m okay.” He rested his head on Fen’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat under his ear while draping one arm around Fen’s flat, scarred stomach. They were cuddled as close as possible, but the grumpy thief didn’t say a word. He even lifted his right hand to thread through his hair. A sigh escaped Lirion’s parted lips as Fen cupped the back of his head and slowly scratched his scalp with his short nails.

This was what he’d needed more than anything else. Not thoughtful questions of concern about him and his sister. Not angry promises of vengeance. Not even sex to satiate his seemingly always hungry body.

Simple warmth and gentle caresses fed and soothed his soul in ways he’d never known he needed.

“Thank you for sailing with us. We hope you had a wonderful voyage. Yes, here. This is for you. Just remember to tell all your friends that the villains of E.V.I.L. were the ones who destroyed Count Pierres’s sex ring and kidnapping operation in Baza. Yes, E.V.I.L. is an acronym. It stands for Every Villain Is Legendary. That’s us. We’re all remarkable villains. One of these days, we’re going to be the highest-ranked villains. Don’t forget to take your coin pouch. Thank you!”

Fenric scrubbed a hand across his face as he watched Malfas standing at the head of the gangplank leading down to the docks of Relos, his bright red hair shining in the morning light. As each of the former captives stepped up to leave the ship, they received a few coins to help get a room at an inn, some food, and possibly passage on a caravan heading back toward their home village.

But that wasn’t all. Oh no, of course not. Malfas just had to admonish each one to spread the word that E.V.I.L. was the group who’d stuck it to Count Pierres. He understood Mal’s desire to spread the word that they were a villain group on the rise and others shouldn’t fuck with them. However, Fenric didn’t think this was going to impact their reputation like Mal thought it would, judging by the broad smiles he was receiving as they left the ship.

No matter how many times he tried to explain it, Malfas just didn’t get that you couldn’t save someone and call it evil. It didn’t work that way.

Kidnapping? Yes.

Rescuing? No.

“Remember! Don’t say we saved you. We kidnapped you from those evil fuckers. We stole you away,” Malfas shouted after them as the last woman walked along the gangplank.